Payton Herres, Heart Transplant Recipient
When I was born on March 28, 2000 at Miami Valley Hospital in Dayton, Ohio, I was so blue that I was rushed to the NICU. My mother never even got to hold me. We would learn that I had a congenital heart condition called Ebstein’s Anomaly. The disease is rare, occurring in less 1% […]
Erin Rowland, Double Lung Transplant Recipient
At age 40, I began to experience Dyspnea and Hypoxia with mild exertion. Having been an active and fit mother of 4 and never ailing from much besides a cold, I ignored my symptoms for months. By the time I saw a physician, I was pregnant with my 5th child so any and all testing […]
Doreen Stanley, Heart Transplant Recipient
My story started with an abnormal heart beat at a mobile heart testing center at my workplace in 2019, and ended with getting an emergency heart transplant on January 10, 2023, at The Christ Hospital. Through those years, I was seen at Christ Hospital, The Mayo Clinic, and The Cleveland Clinic. My original diagnosis was […]
Julianna Coates, Liver Transplant Recipient
Liver disease took me by surprise in 2020 when I went jaundice after a surgery. Further testing revealed that I had an underlying autoimmune disease called Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis (PSC). Over the next two and a half years I continued to get more sick until I received my life saving phone call on March 24, […]
Sherry Patterson, Liver Transplant Recipient
The Devastating Diagnosis: Recognizing the Signs of Liver Disease and Liver Failure Sherry Patterson began experiencing physical symptoms she initially believed were caused by stress. She started feeling unwell and vomiting blood, which she initially attributed to an ulcer or stress from planning a large event. But her symptoms worsened, leading her to the emergency […]
Tracy Keating, Liver Transplant Recipient
When I was in my 30s, I experienced severe pain in my right side. I was sent to the hospital, they did a series of tests and nothing was confirmed. Luckily, I worked for a medical group that included 3 gastroenterologists. One of which suggested a liver biopsy. He performed this and diagnosed me with […]
Dave Anderson, Kidney Transplant Recipient
One anonymous donor saved Dave’s life. His transplant story starts back in 2016 when he first added his name to the transplant recipient list. After his transplant in 2019, the donor didn’t remain anonymous for long. Watch this video from our friends at The Christ Hospital to learn more about Dave’s story: Dave lives in […]
Mike Olsen, Double Lung Transplant Recipient
Diagnosed with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) lung disease 2014. Second chance at life 2019: double lung transplant. Making every breath count. Mike Olsen lives in Louisville, Kentucky.
Jim Sacconi, Heart Transplant Recipient
Throughout high school, I lived with ongoing heart issues and was on several medications, but I refused to let that define me. Despite my health struggles, I stayed active in the school choir, theater performances, and was deeply involved in my church youth group. Life moved forward, and for many years, I managed—until my mid […]
October: Kenneth Parker. Featured in 2023 Calendar.
I do not wish on anyone the despair and hopelessness a person can feel who needs an organ transplant to live. The circumstances surrounding my ordeal seemed overwhelming. However, I kept my faith and remained close to my family and friends. I did not know there was someone out there, someone who had never met […]